Some automotive vehicles are equipped with a system for automatically stopping and restarting the engine during times of travel in which the vehicle is stopped. This is commonly known as a “stop-start” system and the vehicle can be referred to as a “micro-hybrid.” Other hybrid vehicles are also known in which the engine can be stopped and the motor can be used to propel the vehicle.
The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), section 571.102 require that an engine in a vehicle may not automatically stop when the transmission is in reverse gear. The FMVSS also require that the engine may automatically restart while in reverse gear only if the vehicle satisfies two conditions: (1) when the engine is automatically stopped in a forward drive position and the driver selects Reverse, the engine restarts immediately whenever the service brake is applied, and (2) when the engine is automatically stopped in a forward drive position and the driver selects Reverse, the engine does not start automatically if the service brake is not applied.